A video signal switching apparatus having editing function to select an arbitrary video signal from plural video signals, or to carry out synthesis thereof, and to give various special effects to image is called a video switcher, and is adapted so that plural television cameras or plural video tape recorders (VTRs), etc. are caused to be video signal sources to select an arbitrary video signal from plural video signals supplied from these video signal sources in accordance with switching operation of operator, or to synthesize a specific video signal or character information, etc. with respect to the selected video signal. In recent years, with advancement of digitization of VTR, etc., digitization advances also in the video switcher.
With advancement of digitization of the video switcher, not only the effect to merely carry out switching of video signals, but also editing function to give various special effects, e.g., dissolve, wipe, fade-in/fade-out, etc. to image by DME (Digital Motion Effect) or DVE (Digital Video Effect), etc. have been added to the video switcher.
The video switcher comprises an operating panel (console) provided with switches and/or fader levers, etc. comprising operation buttons for selecting video signals and/or for selecting various digital effects. In the operation on the operating panel, in the case where, e.g., special effect such as wipe, etc. for displaying other image in such a manner to wipe off image being displayed is given, the fader lever is ordinarily operated to thereby control the degree of advancement of switching of image. Namely, image is switched in accordance with quantity of operation and operation speed of the fader lever.
As stated above, since the editing function to produce various special effects is provided at the video switcher in addition to the function to carry out switching of video signals, that operating panel is divided into plural systems, and is divided, every respective systems, into plural switch operation units in which a large number of switches for merely switching video signals, etc. are disposed and plural lever operation units in which fader levers for giving special effects, etc. are disposed, etc.
In the conventional video switcher, the operating panel in which switch operation units and lever operation units, etc. are disposed every plural systems is integrally constituted, and is formed as product in the state where arrangement order of plural systems and/or layout of plural switch operation units and plural lever operation units are fixed. Accordingly, in the case where user desires a video switcher of favorite arrangement order and/or layout, it is inevitable to give an order as an apparatus of the special specification. For this reason, cost extremely becomes high.
Even if user purchases the video switcher of the standard specification at a relatively low cost, in the case where operation unit which is not required for that user, etc. is assembled, user does not use that operation unit. Accordingly, burden in point of cost is applied to user as the result thereof. Further, even after the video switcher is purchased, there naturally also takes place the case where there is a need to change arrangement order and/or layout in dependency upon difference of operability by right-handness or left-handness of operator and/or fondness of operator, etc. However, the conventional video switcher could not cope with such request.
Disclosure of the Invention
The present invention has been proposed in view of actual circumstances as described above, and an object of the present invention is to provide a video signal switching apparatus and a control method therefore which can freely change setting of arrangement order of plural systems and/or layout of plural switch operation units and plural lever operation units in accordance with fondness of user.
A video signal switching apparatus according to the present invention comprises plural operation modules disposed on a base unit, a relay base (substrate) for electrically connecting adjacent modules of these plural operation modules to each other to carry out transmission of signals between both modules, and a control unit for controlling the plural operation modules while carrying out management of information relating to respective functions of the plural operation modules. This video signal switching apparatus carries out a control so as to acquire predetermined module identification information and operation information of respective modules from respective ones of the plural operation modules while carrying out management of information relating to respective functions of the plural operation modules to supply display information to respective ones of the plural operation modules while making reference to management information on the basis of this acquired operation information.
The video signal switching apparatus according to the present invention is caused to be of the configuration in which the operation unit is caused to be modular configuration every respective function so that attachment position of relay means at electrical connection between respective mutual operation modules is adapted in a manner attached at a desired position, and width of module is caused to be a desired width, thereby making it possible to freely change setting of respective functions of operation units, i.e., layout of operation modules in accordance with fondness of operator. In the case where the wiring system is caused to be relay base connection, since it is not required to employ the configuration of harness connection, assembling ability can be improved and unnecessary radiation can be suppressed. As the relay means, relay means employing harness connection may be also used without using relay base as described above. Further, respective panel modules are caused to undergo management on the basis of identification information, and transmission/reception of information are carried out between the panel modules and respective operation modules on the basis of that management information, thereby also making it possible to change functions of operation modules.
Still further objects of the present invention and more practical merits obtained by the present invention will become more apparent from the description of the embodiments which will be given below with reference to the attached drawings.